#13 Mergers and Acquisitions

This report outlines a strategic evaluation of a corporate real estate firm’s acquisition of investment manager and its evolution into a combined firm. A three-phase analysis is used: Strategy & M&A, Deal-Making, and Post-Merger Integration, frameworks such as the Acquisition Process Model. The process reveals tensions between organic vs. inorganic growth, integration vs. autonomy, and cultural fit vs. operational alignment. While the acquisition achieved strategic goals such as capital stack expansion and technological upgrades, it also led to leadership turnover and cultural disengagement. The report concludes with two design-inspired recommendations: ‘Mirror Teams’ and ‘Co-Design’ to support more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable post-merger integration activity.